LOS ANGELES >> Joonas Donskoi followed up his three-point night Saturday with a goal and an assist. Chris Tierney gobbled up two more points and Mikkel Boedker found the scoresheet in consecutive games for the first time since early October.

Head coach Pete DeBoer asked for bounce back seasons from all three players in training camp, and right now, they’re working together to give the Sharks the third line edge that the team will need on a nightly basis to remain in contention throughout the second half of the season.

Here’s what we learned Monday as the Sharks (23-13-6) completed their season series against the Los Angeles Kings (24-15-5) with a 3-1 record by picking up a 4-1 win at Staples Center.

1. The Sharks success in the Pacific Division isn’t a fluke >> The Sharks success in the Pacific Division is keeping the team afloat in the Western Conference playoff race.

By beating the Kings for a third-consecutive time, the Sharks moved to within a point of their Southern California rivals for the final playoff spot in the division. The win also improved the team’s record against the Pacific Division to 10-2-3 on the season.

The words “huge win” are overused by players and reporters throughout the season, but the importance of snagging two points Monday afternoon couldn’t be overstated.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and they’re building a cushion with 61 points. The Calgary Flames (54 points) have propelled themselves into second by reeling off seven-consecutive wins. The Anaheim Ducks, who trail the Sharks (52 points) by three points for fourth place, are finally healthy after playing most of the first half without Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler.

The Kings (53 points) are expecting Jeff Carter to rejoin the lineup at some point in the second half.

Considering how tightly-packed the race is, it isn’t unfair to suggest that the Sharks would be lost without their .767 points percentage within the division.

It isn’t entirely surprising that the Sharks are finding success out west and against the Kings. The Sharks are designed to beat the team that knocked them out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2013 and 2014.

The Sharks stingy team defense, ability to possess the puck with a strong forecheck and willingness to play a hard-inside game create the right formula for success in hockey’s heaviest division.

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“That’s what we know, so that’s how we’re going to play,” Joe Pavelski said.

Tierney agreed with the Sharks captain: “That’s what this team is built for — playing those tight games.”

The knock against the Sharks, of course, is that they run into trouble when playing speedier, more skilled teams in the Eastern Conference. The Sharks 11-9-2 record against the east would seem to back this up.

But if the Sharks can finish in first, second or third, they can ensure that the first two rounds of the playoffs are played within the Pacific Division. Once you’re in the final four anything can happen.

2. Dylan DeMelo, Joakim Ryan paint a picture of why the Sharks waived Paul Martin >> Anyone who’s confused about the Sharks decision to waive Paul Martin would have received an explanation by watching Monday’s game.

Ryan skated on Burns’ pairing for the first time since Nov. 24, providing the security blanket that the reigning Norris Trophy winner needs with his mobility, positioning, mastery of angles and strong first pass on the breakout. With Ryan at his side, Burns stayed out of the red for a second-consecutive game after producing a minus-six rating during the Sharks recent five-game road trip.

DeMelo, meanwhile, continued to solidify his spot on the blue line, setting up the Sharks first two goals. He got the opening goal started at 4:38 of the first by racing toward the boards, keeping the puck in at the blue line and throwing it on net to create a rebound chance.

He produced another rebound at 8:52 of the second by getting a puck through from the outside for Barclay Goodrow to slam home.

“He’s a guy that isn’t intimidated by the situation or by being in L.A. or the big forwards,” DeBoer said. “He sticks his nose in there and just makes good plays.”

3. Martin Jones strikes back >> Martin Jones bounced back from his worst start of the season by making 35 saves to knock off his former-team for the second time in less than a month.

After surrendering three goals on six shots in 13:48 of work Saturday, Jones made sure that he polished off the rust of the Sharks five-day bye against the Kings.

“I know how my legs felt (Saturday),” Pavelski said. “There’s always a little bit of rust after a few days off. For goalies, I’m sure it’s the same way.”

With the win, Jones improved to a career 9-3-2 with a .933 save percentage against the Kings. He also picked up his first playoff series win against his former-squad in 2016.

“We play well (against them) as a team,” Jones said, explaining his success against the Kings. “When we play like we did today, playing in the offensive zone for a lot of the game, it makes everybody’s job easier.”